Hip-hop lost one of its greats this week when Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quested succumbed to complications of diabetes. He was only 45. The tributes that have followed have been heartening to witness, because Phife is the kind of artist whose contributions could easily be overlooked. He wasn’t a star. He wasn’t an enigma. He was never viewed as the creative force behind Tribe. He was, by all accounts, the second best rapper in the group, the wisecracking sidekick to Q-Tip’s righteous shaman, yet he's a big part of the reason A Tribe Called Quest’s records are remembered as fondly as they are—he was the guy who ensured that, despite their socially conscious ideals, the band was first and foremost fun.
And in a way, he was a better representation of golden-age hip-hop individualism than his peers who preached it louder. In the early ’90s, countless acts rapped about being true to yourself, but Phife led by example. He owned his flaws and shortcomings—his diminutive stature, his complexion, the unlikelihood of ever ending up with Dawn from En Vogue. He rapped about having diabetes, for God’s sake. He was perhaps the most purely relatable rapper of his time.
Anyway, while the tributes continue to pour in from around the world, Milwaukee will host one of its own this weekend. Firebrand rapper Reggie Bonds will host a Remembering Phife Dawg Cypher on Saturday, March 26 at the Juice Kitchen (1617 W. North Ave.) from noon to 3 p.m. A DJ will be throwing down beats from hip-hop staples including DJ Premier and J Dilla, while a host of rappers will attempt to outshine each other. “We’re taking it back to the essence,” Bonds says.
Bonds has been in a battle state of mind lately. Earlier this month he released a video of himself freestyling at the V100 studios, which you can watch below.
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